Google is making inline links more prominent in AI responses

Google is enhancing the prominence of inline links within its AI-generated responses, as detailed in a recent blog post. The company aims to increase the visibility of these links in its AI Mode and AI Overviews, making them more frequent and accessible to users. Unlike traditional search results that present links in a list format, Google's AI experiences provide answers in a customized view. However, this new format has sparked concerns about its potential impact on publisher traffic.

To address this issue, Google is making several updates to its AI results. The company is testing the placement of relevant links at the top of responses, accompanied by context, for certain tasks. Additionally, for "timely" articles, Google is expanding the rollout of link carousels, which were introduced in May, to more locations and languages.

Google is also making the links at the end of queries more engaging and prominent, featuring image thumbnails and a more clickable design. Furthermore, the company is testing the inclusion of clickable links within its AI mode to search for profiles of publishers and creators.

In order to support this initiative, Google is collaborating with over 400 publishers through its "News AI" pilot program, which was launched in December. This licensing program compensates publishers for the delivery and utilization of enhanced content to develop new AI features. Notable publishers such as Axios, CNN, and the Financial Times have recently joined the program.